Beloved Hervey Bay architect Gavin Patterson farewelled

Known for his sense of humour and his love for the Fraser Coast, a beloved architect, who helped shape the region, has been farewelled by the community he loved, in the chapel he designed.

Lanky Fraser Coast architect Gavin Patterson carved legacies large and small, on the land and in minds, in a unique, caring style peppered with whimsical humour, barbed wit or brutal honesty.

His funeral service in the Orana Chapel he designed for J. Kirk and Sons in Hervey Bay, was told of a complex, artistic man who, at 193cm, had a lofty view of the world physically as well as mentally and scoped it with a piercing mind’s eye.

His passions embraced architecture, particularly heritage preservation, art, music, literature, theatre, the ocean and rivers, bird life and nature in general.

Yachting and camping were his joys, generosity was his badge, whether helping others, offering hospitality or teaching young relatives old or invented games.

His wife Tess Patterson told of a whirlwind life of adventure for the avowed atheist who relished the beauty of old churches and stood unflinchingly for his principles.

Gavin and Tess Patterson at the launch of his book, A Bird Memoir - Sketches and Stories of birds around Wide Bay.

“Gavin’s self-assuredness was what enabled him to make things happen,” she said

“He didn’t just talk about doing things – he did them – and no matter what he took on he did it thoroughly – and with panache.

“He swept people up on the coat tails of his enthusiasm and creativity.”

Family tributes include a nephew’s recollection of arriving at the Patterson Pialba home with a new girlfriend.

His uncle soon rode into the driveway on a bicycle, a curious figure in a wide-brimmed straw hat, singlet and shorts who pulled out a can of VB to offer the new visitor.

Gavin Patterson, who died on March 24 aged 77, was raised in Brisbane and spent boyhood holidays at The Gables, once a rambling landmark house at Point Vernon.

He was married three times, to Lindy White in 1966, Ros Gibbs in 1979, and Tess Wroe in 2004, and had three children, Phoebe, Harry and Lucy.

Eulogies described Gavin Patterson’s gift of being able to soak in details and opinions, consider what could be and cut to the heart of any subject.

That led to him sowing the first seeds for the renaissance of Maryborough as a heritage city when a group of citizens asked him to help create an old township on the former showgrounds site.

Lanky Fraser Coast architect Gavin Patterson carved legacies large and small, on the land and in minds, in a unique, caring style peppered with whimsical humour, barbed wit or brutal honesty.

After listening patiently to the plans the architect scotched the idea with the words: “You don’t need a fake old township. You are already living in a real one.”

The late Alan Brown, a councillor at the time, was heavily influenced by Mr Patterson and went on to champion the heritage restoration of Maryborough throughout his 11 years as mayor.

The erudite, irreverent character of Gavin Patterson is embedded in books he wrote and illustrated, included a memoir about The Gables that extended into adulthood in new homes at Point Vernon after old house had been demolished.

Gavin Patterson at the Gables, Point Vernon

He tells of a snooker game with the loser’s penalty of running naked across the road and around the playground that bore the name of “The Col Gardiner Memorial Park”.

That enthusiastic ritual was to be repeated many times.

It was called “Doing A Col Gardiner”.

The name of Col Gardiner was to live on when Gavin formed and cheekily named the Col Gardiner Light Opera Society, the Col Gardiner Yacht Squadron and the Col Gardiner Oratario Society.

In a salute to his nonconformist ideals, broad interests and energy, his funeral was told nowhere else in the world would be found an atheist architect with a love of art and nature standing in a soaring Anglican Church like Maryborough’s St Paul’s, exultantly singing The Messiah with a society he organised and named after a ritual of running naked around a playground.